How loud is a Little Giant 3-mdq sc?

Corndork2 · 03/31/2008, 11:58 AM

How loud is a Little Giant 3-mdq sc?Im looking to replace my PCX-40 which is loud. Ive seen some larger little giant pumps operate relatively quietly. Is this one similar? Or is it a freight train too?

beez · 03/31/2008, 01:30 PM

I've had two 3-MDQXs that were so quiet you could hardly tell if they were on, but I'm not sure if the MDQ pressure version is as quiet....

turbonut · 03/31/2008, 06:24 PM

well i tell you this much i have two 5 md's on my 125 and they are far from quite not the same model number as urs but same company

kau_cinta_ku · 03/31/2008, 06:36 PM

i have the Little Giant 3-mdq sc down in my basement to pump water up to my tank for water changes and i can't even tell it is on being right next to it. very quiet. and when i bought it I was told it was a return because it was to loud, well the wouldn't have mattered as it was gonna go in the basement anyway. go figure lol

DarG · 03/31/2008, 07:51 PM

I replaced one with a Blueline. The Blueline is quieter. Doesnt heat the water as much either. I used Little Giant for 20 years or more. Thats all I used. Never again. Too many failures over the last 8 or 10 years. I didnt have a single failure in the first 10 or 12 years I used them. They were all I used. I still have two 20 year old LG pumps that work great. Personally, and this is just my experience with them, they dont build them like they used to. And I especially despise the sealed oil free bearing pumps. Those die quickest of all for me. Maybe others have had better luck but im done with them. I have an old styrofoam cooler that is used as the dead LG Graveyard. There has go to be atleast 4 pumps in there and I have probably had to dump 2 or 3 more that I didnt keep for show and tell.

So far my Bluelines are holding up well. They cost me less, run cooler and run quieter.

Sorry LG ... just my experience.

dogstar74 · 03/31/2008, 10:28 PM

People have been really happy with the panworld pumps. I had a LG pump, and I felt it too noisy to have in a room that you will spend much time in.

firethefish · 03/31/2008, 10:41 PM

If you're looking for quiet don't use the panworld. I have one on my 90G and it sounds like a small plane humming in there. It almost as loud as the water entering my sump. But it does pump some water.

DarG · 04/01/2008, 08:13 AM

I have two (blueline = Pan world = coralife = ... ) on my 90. They are signifigantly quieter than equivalent Little Giants. I have the Blue Line 30 HD and 55 HD pressure rated equivalents. They arent silent by any means. But there is no way I would call then noisy or loud. They adevertise them to be a little quieter than Iwaki pumps. They are designed the same. If you have ever heard Iwaki pumps, that is about what my Pan Worlds sound like noise wise. If you think those are too loud, LG is not a great choice at all.

If you really want a close to silent pump look at the Blueline / Pan World Velocity series. They are centrifugal - water cooled pumps. They do heat the tank water more though. But no cooling fan and they are very very quiet.

eddnyster · 04/01/2008, 10:08 AM

I have heard from a lot of people that the Velocity Series pumps or Poseidon (same pumps just named differently) are as quiet as pumps can get. They're made by Blueline and the ONLY drawback is that they do add heat to your water. I have not tried them personally but I do have a friend running a PS3 in his living room and you can't even notice it's on.

dogstar74 · 04/01/2008, 10:59 AM

There is a mod out there that makes the pan world pumps absolutely silent. Someone took off the factory fan, drilled a heat sink and attached it where the fan goes, and put a computer fan on the HS and Vai Ola it was silent. Do a search. Sounds like a good way to go.

03/31/2008, 11:58 AM	#1
Corndork2 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 511	How loud is a Little Giant 3-mdq sc? How loud is a Little Giant 3-mdq sc?Im looking to replace my PCX-40 which is loud. Ive seen some larger little giant pumps operate relatively quietly. Is this one similar? Or is it a freight train too?

03/31/2008, 01:30 PM	#2
beez Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 254	I've had two 3-MDQXs that were so quiet you could hardly tell if they were on, but I'm not sure if the MDQ pressure version is as quiet.... __________________ After years of frustration with get-rich-quick schemes, I know I'm going to get rich with THIS scheme. And quick.

03/31/2008, 10:28 PM	#6
dogstar74 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,152	People have been really happy with the panworld pumps. I had a LG pump, and I felt it too noisy to have in a room that you will spend much time in. __________________ "If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS

04/01/2008, 10:59 AM	#10
dogstar74 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,152	There is a mod out there that makes the pan world pumps absolutely silent. Someone took off the factory fan, drilled a heat sink and attached it where the fan goes, and put a computer fan on the HS and Vai Ola it was silent. Do a search. Sounds like a good way to go. __________________ "If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS

03/31/2008, 06:24 PM	#3
turbonut Moved On Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: moreno valley ca Posts: 578	well i tell you this much i have two 5 md's on my 125 and they are far from quite not the same model number as urs but same company

03/31/2008, 06:36 PM	#4
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	i have the Little Giant 3-mdq sc down in my basement to pump water up to my tank for water changes and i can't even tell it is on being right next to it. very quiet. and when i bought it I was told it was a return because it was to loud, well the wouldn't have mattered as it was gonna go in the basement anyway. go figure lol

03/31/2008, 07:51 PM	#5
DarG Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,515	I replaced one with a Blueline. The Blueline is quieter. Doesnt heat the water as much either. I used Little Giant for 20 years or more. Thats all I used. Never again. Too many failures over the last 8 or 10 years. I didnt have a single failure in the first 10 or 12 years I used them. They were all I used. I still have two 20 year old LG pumps that work great. Personally, and this is just my experience with them, they dont build them like they used to. And I especially despise the sealed oil free bearing pumps. Those die quickest of all for me. Maybe others have had better luck but im done with them. I have an old styrofoam cooler that is used as the dead LG Graveyard. There has go to be atleast 4 pumps in there and I have probably had to dump 2 or 3 more that I didnt keep for show and tell. So far my Bluelines are holding up well. They cost me less, run cooler and run quieter. Sorry LG ... just my experience.

03/31/2008, 10:41 PM	#7
firethefish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: pembroke pines, fl. Posts: 319	If you're looking for quiet don't use the panworld. I have one on my 90G and it sounds like a small plane humming in there. It almost as loud as the water entering my sump. But it does pump some water.

04/01/2008, 08:13 AM	#8
DarG Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,515	I have two (blueline = Pan world = coralife = ... ) on my 90. They are signifigantly quieter than equivalent Little Giants. I have the Blue Line 30 HD and 55 HD pressure rated equivalents. They arent silent by any means. But there is no way I would call then noisy or loud. They adevertise them to be a little quieter than Iwaki pumps. They are designed the same. If you have ever heard Iwaki pumps, that is about what my Pan Worlds sound like noise wise. If you think those are too loud, LG is not a great choice at all. If you really want a close to silent pump look at the Blueline / Pan World Velocity series. They are centrifugal - water cooled pumps. They do heat the tank water more though. But no cooling fan and they are very very quiet.

04/01/2008, 10:08 AM	#9
eddnyster Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Whitter, CA Posts: 275	I have heard from a lot of people that the Velocity Series pumps or Poseidon (same pumps just named differently) are as quiet as pumps can get. They're made by Blueline and the ONLY drawback is that they do add heat to your water. I have not tried them personally but I do have a friend running a PS3 in his living room and you can't even notice it's on.